INCREASING YOUTH EMPLOYABILITY IN THE CREATIVE ECONOMY SECTOR: VFX, ANIMATION AND GAMES DEVELOPMENT
ABOUT THE BRITISH COUNCIL
The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Its purpose is to build engagement and trust for the UK through the exchange of knowledge and ideas between people worldwide. It seeks to achieve its aims by working in education, science, governance, English and the arts. Established in 1934 and incorporated by Royal Charter in 1940, the British Council is registered as a charity in England and Wales (charity no. 209131).
PROJECT BACKGROUND
The British Council’s Creative Economy programme in the Western Balkans aims to strengthen the region’s creative and digital industries as key drivers of innovation, youth employment, and international collaboration. Globally, the programme focuses on policy, research, and capacity building for creative professionals and policymakers. By working with governments and sector leaders, it ensures that conditions are in place for creative individuals and organisations to thrive and contribute to sustainable economic and cultural development. In the Western Balkans, these objectives are pursued through sector development events, policy dialogues, and exposure to UK expertise in areas such as gaming, film, music, design, fashion, and creative heritage. The programme promotes regional cooperation and reconciliation through creative economy collaboration, in line with the UK’s wider engagement in the region. This project stems directly from the Meeting of Western Balkans Ministers of Culture, held in Kotor, Montenegro, on 28 May 2025, under the auspices of the Berlin Process. At that meeting, the Culture Ministries of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, together with the UK Special Envoy to the Western Balkans, Dame Karen Pierce, adopted a Joint Declaration that places the region’s creative economy at the centre of its economic and European future. The Declaration commits participating governments to embed creativity in national growth agendas, strengthen cooperation among culture, education, and economy ministries, and develop skills and innovation as pillars of sustainable development. The United Kingdom has long championed this agenda, recognising the creative economy as a driver of inclusive growth, social cohesion, and regional cooperation.
Building on these commitments, the British Council is launching the project “Increasing Youth Employability in the Creative Economy: VFX, Animation and Games Development.” The initiative aims to identify skills gaps, map existing education and training provision, and propose pathways to strengthen youth employability in fast-growing creative digital sectors. It will inform the development of a Western Balkans Creative Skills Roadmap, supporting the implementation of the Ministers’ Joint Declaration and advancing the goals of the Berlin Process.
PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The UK Methodology and Research Design Consultant will design, coordinate, and deliver the regional feasibility study and skills roadmap for the Western Balkans. The consultant will lead on methodological design, provide expert analysis, ensure quality assurance of all outputs, and guide the Local Creative and Digital Skills Consultants in six Western Balkans countries to ensure coherence, comparability, and impact.
Note that two consultancy roles are being advertised for this assignment: the UK Lead Creative and Digital Skills Consultant, and the UK Methodology and Research Design Consultant. Candidates may apply for one or both roles, provided they have the required qualifications to deliver the scope of work.
SCOPE OF WORK
- Design and oversee the overall methodology and tools (survey questionnaires, mapping templates, interview guidelines) for data collection and analysis across the six Western Balkans countries.
- Assist the UK Lead Creative and Digital Skills Consultant in the inception meeting and provide training/orientation to Local Consultants.
- Coordinate research activities, ensuring consistent data collection and reporting across countries.
- Analyse national data and produce a consolidated regional synthesis report with findings, gaps, and recommendations.
- Assist the Lead Consultant in developing a proposed model for skills and qualifications frameworks aligned with both UK and EU standards.
- Advise the British Council on practical steps to implement the recommended model across the region.
DELIVERABLES & TIMELINE
- Draft methodological toolkit (survey, interview, mapping tools) – November 2025
- Final validated toolkit after feedback – December 2025
- Support to data collection and analysis – February 2026
- Contributions to the regional synthesis report – March 2026
QUALIFICATIONS
- Minimum 8 years of experience in research, skills mapping, or labour market analysis.
- Proven track record in leading multi-country research or development projects.
- Strong understanding of the UK’s creative economy ecosystem and its relevance to international collaboration.
- Experience working with government, education, and industry stakeholders in an advisory or consultancy capacity.
- Excellent analytical, communication, and report-writing skills.
- Knowledge of Western Balkan contexts an advantage.
- Demonstrated commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion principles.
DURATION AND LEVEL OF EFFORT
Up to 10 working days between November 2025 and March 2026.
REPORTING
The UK Methodology and Research Design Consultant will report to Milan Lucic, Head of Arts Western Balkans and collaborate closely with British Council regional and country teams. LOCATION The assignment will be primarily home-based, with online coordination and potential travel to the Western Balkans.
EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
The British Council is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of its work and encourages applicants from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.
CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT
The British Council seeks to minimise environmental impact across all its programmes. Consultants are expected to conduct meetings and coordination primarily online and minimise non-essential travel and printing.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Interested candidates should submit their CV and cover letter (in English) outlining their experience relevant to this assignment to Jovana Bjelakovic at Jovana.Bjelakovic@britishcouncil.org by 23.59 CET on Thursday, 6 November 2025 with the subject line: “Application for UK Methodology and Research Design Consultant – [Consultant Name]”. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.